Update 9.20: Common Test

This is basically Wargaming’s synopsis of what is going on in the test a decent one stop shop for most things. Most of this has been covered in greater detail in RSR like HD screen shots and Test notes , for other stuff just scroll back through history.

Update 9.20: Common Test

Update 9.20 is heading full speed towards Common Test today. If you’ve been waiting to battle it out in the new 30v30 mode, Chinese TDs or rebalanced vehicles, this is your chance to get a first hands-on chance with them. Once you have some time to play a few games, hop into the 9.20 forum thread to share your thoughts. It’ll help us fine-tune the update.

Ranked Battles

Ranked Battles just recently finished its Beta Season, raising mixed feelings across the global World of Tanks community. We’ve dug into all your feedback and would like to touch upon changes that we hope will improve your experience.

Fine-Tuning the Essentials

One of the main issues discussed on the forums was the mode’s simplicity. The core gameplay of battling against top-notch tankers of a similar skill set works, but the ladder to Rank 5 did not provide a real challenge to experienced players.

We tried to fix that by changing the mechanics behind earning chevrons and ranks. Our main goal was to raise their value and, thus, make for more challenging yet rewarding gameplay.

This is how it will look during the 9.20 Common Test. While the number of ranks will remain unchanged, the amount of chevrons you need to progress to the next rank will alter. It will be distributed among ranks as 1-3-5-7-9, which means you only need one chevron to progress to Rank 1, but it’s nothing compared to nine chevrons to go from Rank 4 to Rank 5. It may sound easy on paper, but in reality, you have to be an experienced tanker to make it up to the top.

More to it, the mechanics for vehicle ranks will be updated, too. In Beta Season 2, no matter which rank your machine has at the moment, you’ll need exactly 5 chevrons to get to the next one.

The way you earn chevrons has also changed. If your team wins a battle and you make it to the top 10 in experience points, congratulations: you leave the battle with a chevron. You keep the same number of chevrons if you rank in the bottom 5 of a winning team or if you reach the top 5 of a losing team. If you’re out of the top 5 of a losing team—you lose one chevron.

The main purpose of these changes is to promote better teamwork, because, while Ranked Battles is all about personal ratings, it’s the team that wins a particular battle.

This is the same reason we’ve expanded the list of those who keep their chevrons if their team loses. It means that even if the odds are against you and opponents push you on every flank, don’t give up the fight, help your teammates—and your efforts will be rewarded.

Uplifting the Balance

There were several crucial points regarding combat balance that you mentioned during the first season, and this is how we’ve addressed them:

The matchmaker became smarter and will now try to gather an equal number of medium and heavy tanks for each team

The number of SPGs will be limited to 2 units per team

More maps will be available, as their rotation will be drastically improved, meaning that the chances of seeing the same map will decrease.

Revamped Rewarding

Last but not least, is that the way you receive awards will be revised. Starting from Season 2, you won’t have to wait until the end of the season to receive the major part of your Bond reward. More to it, the value of rewards will rise, as well.

Testing Stages

We’re planning to hold a brief test of the Second Beta during the 9.20 Common Test. By the time the test begins, Ranked Battles will have passed through stages 1 and 2, so you’re very welcome to join in for the 3rd stage, taking place August 2–9.

As always, we appreciate your feedback on the changes we bring into the game. Feel free to share your opinion on the game forums and in social networks, and let us know where you see Ranked Battles heading.

For more information on Grand Battles, changes to Tech Trees, and other improvements we’ve got tied into 9.20, make sure you check out the full preview here: UPDATE 9.20 PREVIEW

New Random Battle type: Grand Battle

The Grand Battles are created from the common queue of the Random Battle mode.

Only Tier X vehicles can participate in the Grand Battles.

Players enter the Grand Battles randomly, by analogy with other battle types: Assault and Encounter Battle.

By default, the Grand Battles are enabled for all players.

The Grand Battles can be enabled/disabled in the game settings: Settings > General > Random Battle Types > Grand Battle.

Each team is conventionally divided into three sub-groups, 10 players each.

Players cannot change sub-groups; belonging to a sub-group is determined by the matchmaker.

Team composition in the Grand Battles is regulated by the general rules of Matchmaker 2.0.

The matchmaker assembles corresponding sub-groups of vehicles by types.

The number of SPGs in the Grand Battles is limited to four vehicles.

The difference in the number of Platoon players (according to the rules of the matchmaker) should not exceed 2.

If at least one of the Platoon members has the Grand Battle option enabled, the entire Platoon is considered participating in this type of battles.

Map

In the current update, the Grand Battles will be played only on one map (Nebelberg)

The map size is 1.4×1.4 km

Players’ spawning point depends on their sub-groups

Each team is divided into three sub-groups

Each sub-group has its own spawn point

Each team has its own base

Interface

The loading screen, the statistics screen (displayed upon pressing TAB), the battle results window and the team panels are designed to display all 60 players.

Both teams are divided into sub-groups

Composition of each sub-group can be viewed in details by clicking on the corresponding group

Changed the upper progress bar of the user interface. In addition to the total number of destroyed enemy vehicles, the progress bar also displays the percentage of the total durability (HP) of each team.

Awards, Achievements, Statistics

Players in the Grand Battles and in Random Battles (level 12 battles only) can receive bonds as the reward. Only players who earn over 400 base experience in the battle will receive bonds.

The amount of the received Bonds directly depends on the amount of the earned experience

Players can complete Personal Missions in the Grand Battles, as well as earn any awards that are available in the Random Battles

In Grand Battles, players will earn Mastery Badges and Marks of Excellence, they way they do in the Random Battles.

The Grand Battles are not counted in the Summary of the player’s Service Record and do not affect the statistics of the Random Battles

The statistics on the Grand Battles will be displayed in Service Record > Statistics > Battle type: Grand Battle

Statistics on particular vehicles in the Grand Battles will be displayed in Service Record > Vehicles > Battle type: Grand Battle

Improvements to Ranked Battles

Client-related improvements:

Added the functionality of earning the Marks of Excellence and Mastery Badges in the Ranked battles.

Added the visual influence of the Directives upon the technical characteristics of vehicles in the infotips and simplified technical characteristics.

Added the functionality of equipping Directives in the vehicle comparison interface so that their influence can be considered.

Added the option that enables auto-resupply of Directives in the purchase interface.

Improved equipment can be dismounted for bonds only.

Added the functionality that displays the vehicle ranks in the vehicle panel when the Ranked Battles mode is selected.

Improved the interface of displaying the reward received for the previous stage. The information about the received reward is also displayed in the pop-up hint when hovering over the rank.

Reworked the calendar interface in the mode. Information about the Prime Times on each server for the selected day is now displayed in the calendar window (not in the pop-up hint, as it was before).

Changed the list of maps that are available in the mode. Now battles will be played on the following maps:

Mines

Prokhorovka

Abbey

El Halluf

Airfield

Malinovka

Himmelsdorf

Murovanka

Paris

Karelia

Lakeville

Siegfried Line

Sand River

Erlenberg

Arctic Region

Tundra

Ensk

Swamp

Westfield

Fisherman’s Bay

Highway

Serene Coast

Windstorm

Fjords

Pilsen

Improvements to the matchmaker:

The number of SPGs will be limited to 2 vehicles per team.

Improved the matchmaking by vehicle types (the matchmaker will try to assemble similar teams)

Improved the system of assembling teams by ranks.

Reworked the interface when entering the mode: added information about available servers; reworked the display of information about the Prime Times.

Added special hints that explain the basic mechanics and main features of the mode to the loading screen in the Ranked Battles. Implemented a separate option that allows configuring the loading screen in the Ranked Battles mode and suggests three variants of the loading screen (by analogy with the options for the Random Battles):

Text only

Illustrated tips

Minimap

Improvements to the display of the Season Leaders:

Added the event archive—statistics of players for previous seasons can be viewed.

Added the filters: clan-mates and friends. Players will be able to view the positions of their clan-mates and friends on the Leaderboard.

Hall of Fame

The new version of Hall of Fame is now available in the game client.

The new version of Hall of Fame has been added to the Service Record tab.

Players will be able to view their achievements in the Random Battles not only for the account in general, but also for each particular vehicle; they can also view the best tankmen.

Players will be able to compare their achievements with those of friends, clan mates, and other players in several time periods.

Moreover, players will be able to monitore their battle performance using the new World of Tanks rating (WTR) that displays the player’s performance on particular vehicles as compared to all players on the server.

The Hall of Fame and new WTR are at the stage of open beta-testing. These development of these functionalities is still in progress, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Improvements to the stun mechanics

Added the total time of caused stun to the Battle Results

Improved the mechanics of causing damage and stun through obstacles. Now SPGs will not cause damage through obstacles that are 2 or more meters thick and the vehicle is fully covered. At the same time, explosion wave can somewhat go around corners of obstacles on condition the distance between the point of hit and the obstacle edge is less than 2 meters. However, in this case, the damage from the explosion will be decreased.

Made terrain-related changes for difficult-to-access areas on the following maps:

Like this:

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29 comments on “Update 9.20: Common Test”

The whole point of Ranked was to be judged as an individual, not to be either carried or weighed down by the team. All of the ultra-passive play we saw in the first iteration was out of fear that the team would lose. And so this new version of chevron scoring will likely have the exact same problem.

Meanwhile nothing to fix the retarded mm that makes tiers 5-8 unplayable cause you are almost never top tier and no buffs to powercreeped pref mm tanks for which we should get a refund due to the mm changes! (In kv5 you never see tier 6s). A disappointing patch that adresses none of the big issues (mm and balance,if you see almost no tanks under tier 8 were touched).

The 30v30 tier 10 battles will have an effect on tier 8 MM, should have fewer tier 10 battles in them.
Not sure what the knock-on effect will be to lower tiers though, will probably make tiers 6-7 MM worse.

wg made it sound like the jag 88 was getting a speed or hpt or ground resistance buff, but it is getting dispersion on the move buffs and traverse speed buff from 22 to 26, HOW the hell is that going to get the 8.8 into the battle faster like they stated, I mean ya the extra 4 points to traverse speed will help on turns but instead of taking 1 min to get into a fight now it takes 58 sec, FFS

Teamwork in WoT, you must be joking. Half the player base don’t even know the difference between standard, assault and encounter modes, not to mention that they got no clue why there is a siren going of in half the battles they loose.

heavies have been effectively removed from the game at middle tiers thanks to the “Arty BUFF” and the fact they are hardly ever top so there is no value in their armour… What this has meant for me is i have to play light tanks now…stinking arty buff..

The limit of 2 spg per game should be for all game’s. SPGs were over buffed improved rod, aim time accuracy and for some more blast radios, is a hell of a lot and with 3 on a team they can just kill push or a flank.

either ranked battles should be about wining as a team – and then all that matters is if your team won or not, or about skill, and all that matters is your exp (considering bonus for wining)
The first option requires horrendous amount of battles to have any meaning, the other option makes teamwork a secondary option comapred to parasiting on others effort and stealing frags and damage while safely hidden away.

the point of ranked battles is to have people sepearated according to their skill, so what is needed is more ranks, not more chevrons per rank, that’s stupid. Especially that previously it was half the players getting a chevron, now it is 1/3, so even for best players rising up the ranks will be slowed down considerably.

Weekly reset change this mode from who can get and stay on the top into who can make fastest climb from the scratch.

They didn’t address anything that makes me dislike Ranked Battles and just aggravated some of the problems.
I hope people will reach similar conclusions and the mode will stay for dedicated nolife’s who will have to fight among themselves from the begining.

So nothing about fixing the economics of Ranked Battles. I see this dying off.

“battling against top-notch tankers of a similar skill set works, but the ladder to Rank 5 did not provide a real challenge to experienced players.”

Sooooo…. how was it that it “did not provide a real challenge to experienced players.” if you were “battling against top-notch tankers of a similar skill set works,”? No need to answer, because the fact of the matter is that you weren’t. I don’t know how many battles I was in at Rank 3 that had red and orange players that were carried to Rank 3.

“If your team wins a battle and you make it to the top 10 in experience points, congratulations: you leave the battle with a chevron.”

If you don’t add tiering of players based on their player rating or stats, then you need to change this to eliminate players being carried to the next rank. On winning team the top 5 gain a chevron, the rest don’t. On the losing team the top 3 get a chevron, those that are 4 & 5 keep theirs, and the rest lose a chevron.

Player tiering based on player rating/stats should be a part of MM for random and ranked battles. How can WG honestly say that battles are competitive when you have brand new players that can join tier 6 – 10 battles by buying a tank? There are even players with over 20k battles that are terrible (like double digit WN8 bad), they are no match for the better players even in the exact same tanks. If they are competitive, how do you explain so many 15-1, 15-2, etc wins/losses?

Can’t see anything here that would encourage me into Ranked Battles (RBs) in a big way. The main problem (spamming gold) hasn’t been addressed. Lights won’t be of any use (assistance gets no exp in RBs), breakthrough tanks and hull down tanks won’t be of any use as everyone spams gold (so you’re dead before you get sufficient exp), and sniper tanks will just get overrun. This means autoloading meds are the best chance of progressing. Sorry, but I don’t want to play “World of TVPs”.

just been on the test server,it is a complete waste of time,all of the Russain players bar none have aimbots and various other hacks, they all cheat its unbelievable, it is so funny how wargaming turn a blind eye to it all for money. It that comes to the EU server well this game is finished